Florida director of NIL and player engagement Marcus Castro-Walker is no longer with the program, the Gators confirmed Thursday.
“Marcus Castro-Walker is not employed by the athletic department,” UF spokesperson Steve McClain said in a statement to Gators Online.
The Athletic reported that Castro-Walker was one of the subjects of the NCAA's ongoing investigation into the recruitment of quarterback Jaden Rashada.
Considered the first "horror story" of the NIL era, Rashada flipped from Miami to Florida in the fall of 2022 with the understanding of a $13 million deal from the Gator Collective.
That deal never materialized, Rashada left Florida and ultimately enrolled at Arizona State, where he threw for 485 yards and four touchdowns for the Sun Devils last fall. The Gator Collective has since disbanded.
Castro-Walker joined Billy Napier's staff in December 2021 in a first-of-its-kind position. He previously worked in player development at Nebraska, Arizona State and UCF.
Florida is not the only school to fall under NCAA investigation for its recruitment of a 2023 quarterback originally from California. The organization is also looking into the actions of the Spyre Sports Group during Tennessee's pursuit of Nico Iamaleava. The state of Tennessee responded by suing the NCAA in federal court.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.